Getting Your Chipped Tooth Repaired in Cincinnati Is Easy

A chip in a tooth can be anything from a tiny flake off the enamel to a full-blown break that extends down to the gums. Sometimes, a chipped tooth is little more than a bother after the pain from the initial trauma subsides. In other cases, the damage can cause a massive toothache, leave the tooth prone to breakage, and expose the root and nerve to possible infection.

Even if the break seems barely noticeable, you should still have the chip repaired by your Cincinnati family dentist. What appears to be a minor crack in your filling can compromise the health of the entire tooth.

Methods of Repairing a Chipped Tooth or Cracked Filling

Your dentist will determine the most appropriate treatment for your chipped tooth based on the severity and type of damage. If most of your tooth has broken off or the injury or decay is too significant, you’ll probably need a tooth extraction and a dental implant as a replacement. A tooth with extensive injury or damage below the gum line likely needs removal and replacement to protect the rest of the teeth, gums, and jaw from further damage and infection.

When only a small part of a tooth breaks off, a qualified emergency dentist in your area can usually fix the tooth in a single visit. The dentist will examine the tooth to make sure the damage isn’t more extensive than a chip. The best way to repair a below-the-gum chip is dental bonding, while more serious chips might require tooth extraction and an implant.

Below are several scenarios involving chipped or cracked teeth and the recommended actions your dentist might suggest in each case.

Fillings for Chipped Teeth Not Visible

The most common fix for a chipped or cracked tooth is a filling, especially if you can’t see the tooth when you smile. This restorative treatment involves removing the damaged or decayed tissue and shaping or protecting the tooth with a metal, porcelain, or resin-based filling. If the chip is more than minor, your dentist might cover the filled tooth with a crown instead.

Dental Bonding for Visibly Chipped Teeth

If the tooth damage is noticeable when you smile, a dentist will probably recommend bonding, which doesn’t require numbing. This process uses a tooth-colored composite resin that the dentist sculpts to match the tooth’s original shape. The sculpting happens after etching the tooth’s surface to enhance adhesion. The dentist then cures the bonding with ultraviolet (UV) light.

A significant benefit of bonding is that it restores the tooth to its original appearance and function. That’s why it’s such a popular procedure for fixing damaged front teeth.

Dental bonding has a few drawbacks, however. For one thing, the color of the bonded part won’t change with your natural teeth. If you undergo professional teeth whitening with your local dentist, your whitened teeth may not match the color of your bonding material.

Another downside of bonding is that the resin material isn’t as strong as natural teeth, so you’ll probably need to redo the bonding every 5-10 years. Another drawback is that bonding won’t protect you from future damage caused by biting hard, grinding, or eating sticky foods.

Repairing Chipped Teeth with Extensive Decay

When a large piece of the tooth breaks off or has a lot of decay, you’ll need a different kind of restoration. Your dentist may need to place a tooth-shaped cap or crown to protect what’s left, which requires grinding part of the tooth away. Your dentist will determine the best way to repair the chipped tooth after removing the decay.

Using Veneers for Chipped Tooth Repair

When it comes to tooth restoration, dental bonding isn’t as good at mimicking the look and feel of a real tooth as porcelain veneers. A veneer from your family dental provider, which can restore a tooth’s physical appearance. A dental veneer is a thin layer of tooth-colored porcelain material that covers the entire front of the tooth. It’s designed to match the surrounding teeth perfectly.

A composite veneer involves a process similar to dental bonding but is typically more extensive. With composite tooth veneers, dental bonding completely covers the cracked, broken, or discolored teeth. Similar to dental bonding for repairing a chipped tooth, composite tooth veneers typically last 5-7 years, whereas porcelain veneers can last 10-15 years with proper care.

Fixing a Cracked or Broken Filling

A cracked or broken filling can expose the inner layers of your tooth to cavity-causing bacteria in your mouth. This exposure can lead to infection, abscesses, and further damage.

Fillings can crack, break, or become loose over time. It can also become dislodged due to a severely impacted tooth. Even fillings with small cracks can leave the affected tooth susceptible to further decay. The roots and nerves of the tooth get exposed to bacteria and debris from your mouth. Even if you feel no pain, a cracked or broken filling needs to be fixed as soon as possible.

Bonding is just as effective as traditional fillings in sealing the tooth and preventing further decay. One benefit of bonding is that it can match the surrounding tooth’s color and appearance. If you have a cracked or broken silver filling, think about replacing it with bonding. Remember, a broken filling is just as urgent as a chipped tooth. Both require immediate repair to avoid more damage to the exposed part of the tooth.

Cracked Tooth Syndrome: Repairing Microscopic Cracks in Teeth

Some people develop cracked tooth syndrome from overbrushing or excessive jaw pressure. Both can cause tiny cracks in the teeth that may not be visible, but the primary symptom is a toothache with no apparent cause. Even though these cracks are very small, they can allow bacteria to enter the tooth and beneath the gums, creating health risks similar to those of a chipped or broken tooth.

Your local family dentist can use X-rays to pinpoint tiny cracks in your teeth. Such injuries can develop into severe cracks or breaks if the toothache goes ignored for too long. Cracked tooth syndrome often requires dental bonding or a crown to correct the issue and protect the tooth from further damage or decay.

Quality Cracked Filling and Chipped Tooth Repair in Cincinnati

When you chip a tooth or break a filling, it is essential to visit the dentist as soon as possible. Delaying treatment can lead to additional dental problems in the future. If you have a chipped tooth, contact your hometown dental practitioners at Beckham Square Family Dental today. We’re your Cincinnati experts at chipped tooth repair. We serve patients and families in Sharonville, Blue Ash, Springdale, Evendale, and the surrounding areas.